Insulin isophane with insulin neutral: Discontinuation
Mixtard 30, PenMix 30 and PenMix 50 are being discontinued by Novo Nordisk.
7 November 2024 | Reminder
Novo Nordisk, the supplier, has now run out of PenMix 50 and Mixtard 30. The PenMix 30 will continue to be supplied until April 2025.
While demand has dropped nearly 1000 people are still getting these products. Pharmacists, please tell your patients to talk to their prescriber about the best alternative insulin product for them.
Prescribers, please follow up with any patients you prescribe PenMix 50 or Mixtard 30 for. They will need to be prescribed a new insulin product.
Affected products
Novo Nordisk is discontinuing the following products:
| Brand | Presentation | Chemical | Pharmacode | Supply ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixtard 30 | Inj human with neutral insulin 100 u per ml | Isophane insulin, insulin human | 797189 | November 2024 |
| PenMix 30 | Inj human with neutral insulin 100 u per ml, 3 ml | Isophane insulin, insulin neutral | 785733 | April 2025 |
| PenMix 50 | Inj human with neutral insulin 100 u per ml, 3 ml | Isophane insulin, insulin neutral | 785768 | November 2024 |
Novo Nordisk made this decision because of the age of these insulin products (they were first registered with Medsafe over 30 years ago) and the availability of funded alternatives. PenMix 40 was discontinued in 2022.
Schedule listing for isophane insulin with insulin neutral(external link)
People who use Mixtard 30, PenMix 30, or PenMix 50
There are funded alternatives. You can continue to access insulin treatment. You will need to talk to your prescriber between now and the end of September about the best alternative for you.
For health care professionals
There are a number of other fully funded insulin products that may be suitable alternatives for your patients.
We encourage healthcare professionals to discuss a safe transition to an alternative funded product based on your patient’s individual needs.
Schedule listings for short-acting insulin preparations(external link)
Schedule listings for intermediate-acting insulin preparations(external link)
Insulin information in the NZ Formulary(external link)
When will this happen
The final shipment of the discontinued products will arrive by 30 September 2024. We will keep the products listed until stock runs out.
Who to contact
If you have questions about this issue, email enquiry@pharmac.govt.nz
Please include as much information as you can about the product (presentation, brand, pharmacode) and who your wholesaler is.
Sign up to our email list for regular emails about supply issues and more(external link)